former gifted kid syndrome, on the run for suspected murder, and gay?!?! i love.


the good:
the talk of the MC’s history of being a perfect student to not being able to get a job after college KILLED me because it’s so relatable. talent can only take you so far in this economy — and in this case, it took her to the point of being accused of killing a family. i wasn't expecting academics and the job market to have such a huge role in evie being roped into this crime, but i love that it did.
the story of the murder is interesting, following the girls on the run is fun, and everyone of course assumes that evie killed the family. because who needs evidence? the romance was cute, but that does take me into some of the cons ...

the bad:
i hate lies of omission as a plot line. especially if you're gonna tell me these characters somehow love each other. 0% chance of me believing that now.
this is just a personal one, but there was a LOT more unexpected talk of grad school throughout the entire novel that might be depressing if you're trying to get in (me).
once evie finally gets caught … a whole year is distilled into 30 pages. it’s choppy, it’s odd, it’s sad. and there's weird, unnecessary body comments that i didn't vibe with.

fun ride, solid commentary on poverty, education, and the economy, cute but questionable romance, and rushed ending.

Big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC copy of this trendy new thriller.

While I loved the dual narrators and how short this one seemed, it didn't quite hit for me the same way it did for other readers. I was definitely intrigued by the way this story started out, but I found myself drifting out of the story here and there from some of the repetitiveness.

I did like the Bonnie & Clyde like storyline, with the author's own take.

I'd give this one a try, just didn't quite check all of my boxes!!

I was not able to read and review this book before its publishing date. However, now that I have I gave it 3 stars.

This book was like love story and I Murder mystery as well. E v I e was a very smart girl from north carolina and was a scholarship girl in this mix college. She did not know what to do with her life. So she went out to l.A.A And this did not work out. She became a tutor for the Wealthy families so their kids could take their S a t. The victors were one of her clients. The daughter.
Needed help , but she was very spoiled. There was another tutor as well who had a very troubled pass. She kept floating around because her father have problems. She could not keep jobs and was Fired from this company because she was a lesbian and fell in love with victor's daughter. As you read this story, you'll find out More about this past of this Woman.. She has nowhere to live so she snuck back into the Victors home. E v I e came for Tutoring t At home for their daughter. She found parents murdered and the daughter was unconscious. The woman was in the closet and was tied up. This Woman was very good at pretending and things. E v I e took off with her in this began a journey across the country. It was very interesting. How these women survived it became like a love story as she told about her life. Great book

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a free copy of this book for my honest review!
The review is, I'm sorry to say, bad. I found the setup for this story engaging, the hook was strong, the main character was developed well and quickly which I like in a thriller. The plot, however, was a mess! The choices the characters made were logical up to a point, but I was so frustrated by their lack of long term realistic plan AND by the way Evie started to have some lusty thoughts about her companion... That gave me a big ick. Overall this book was a mess, it felt like it was written just for the excuse to use such a punchy title. Really disappointed!

This book immediately grabbed my attention. I really enjoyed the narration and the sarcastic and snarky tone from the FMC. While this started off strong - I feel like things took a turn with the addition of the romantic subplot. It just felt very out of nowhere and not what I was expecting. Also how things ended felt very obvious and expected. I know it's not a thriller and more literary fiction with social commentary but it still didn't land well for me when everything was finished. The voice is the strongest part of this story for me and I truly enjoyed the writing style. I just mostly had issues with the plotting.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The blurb definitely intrigued me as having a wrong time wrong place murder occur to make someone go on the run. Evie is not a nice or kind person but goodness she is ambitious and seeing her navigate being on the run and her relationship with Jae was quite a ride. I did not guess the twist in totality by the time it arose but the clues were there and it made it no less enjoyable for me. The ending was a bit unsatisfying for me but I cannot deny the ride. 3.75 stars.

This book is super twisty.

Evie goes to her tutoring session in the swanky Beverly Hills neighborhood, and finds the parents of the teen she tutors dead in the backyard, and a woman crying for help in the closet. She works to free the girl, and someone walks in and it looks like they are the culprits. Evie and this girl go on the run, and a man hunt ensues. Evie knows she has to find the real killer to clear her name! The go across the country and are on the cover of every magazine, news show, everything. The press are hounding her folks and calling her all kinds of things.
It's a crazy ride!

Thrilling, sharp suspense – Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch delivers complex characters, simmering tension, and unexpected twists. Deitch’s crisp prose and strategic pacing keep you guessing until the last page.

The actions of our main character absolutely infuriated me but I could not put this book down. If you can suspend your disbelief, this book is such a fun, quick read. Which is mostly what I look for in a thriller.
It’s mostly fast paced and (insane) action packed and I really enjoyed the reveal. I also loved the LGBTQ representation.
Some of the actions taken had me rolling my eyes but nobody would read a book about a girl that finds a dead body and immediately calls the cops.

An ambitious mix of social satire and thriller, Killer Potential starts strong with a gripping premise and sharp commentary on class, ambition, and media obsession. Evie is a compelling character—flawed, driven, and suddenly infamous—but the novel's tonal shifts between dark humor and high-stakes suspense sometimes clash rather than complement. While it raises some thought-provoking questions, the story's momentum dips just when it should peak. A bold debut with killer ideas that don’t always hit their mark.

I am not a mystery reader, but this one caught my eye with the cover. I can't speak to the mystery plot elements, but I can say I always fully buy in to what the narrator tells me...so every twist got me. This book definitely played with the thought experiment of "what would you do if you were there" and it was a fun read! The author had an interesting writing style that was a newer experience with more stream of consciousness with the thoughts of the main character, which I still found enjoyable.

This fast paced dark read was exactly what I wanted and I didn't even know it. I loved this "Thelma and Louise" type of sapphic love story. It was very Bonnie and Clyde except more Bonnie and Bonnie. Evie and Jae were so well written, even if I didn't like either of them very much. I don't have to like characters to think they are still great characters though.

The story kept me riveted and I kept cheering that they would make it through their ordeal unscathed and be able to walk away completely innocent. I was totally surprised by the twist, though TBH, I probably don't guess most twists correctly anyway. The writing made this an easy read that I was able to finish in two days worth of reading off and on.

**Thank you to the author Hannah Deitch, the publisher William Morrow and NetGalley for an eBook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.**

This was such a quick read for me. However that doesn’t mean I enjoyed every bit of it. I liked the twists and I didn’t see it coming for both of them. However I just don’t understand why the whole romance bit was necessary. Seemed very left field. The beginning was so strong and then it quickly turned into a sloppy romance. I know this was the authors first baby. And I do hope they write more, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me.

A good thriller that has you guessing from the start. These characters are more than they first appear.

This was such a fun read! Sure, parts of it seemed incredibly unrealistic, but it kept me interested from the very first page all the way to the end.

Very voicey debut about two women on the run. Prose is well written and the author clearly has a humorous voice.

(2.5) I didn't care about these characters I'm sorryyyy. The story was interesting enough, but I just wasn't invested and I didn't feel any chemistry between the two main characters.

*SPOILER* Also maybe it's because of my separation from the whole thing, but I REALLY didn't understand why Evie sort of forgave Jay at the end like I would be piiiiissed

Thank you to William Morrow books and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. Hannah Deitch’s debut novel Killer Potential follows Evie Gordon, who discovers the rich family she tutors for dead inside their home. She is discovered discovering the crime scene and assumed to be the killer so she escapes and goes on the run with a mystery woman she found tied up in home that she hopes holds the key to what happened and also her freedom.

This was such an unexpectedly fun book. It combines so many genres into one fast paced thrilling novel. It’s one part murder mystery, one part road trip, one part Bonnie and Clyde (or really Bonnie and Bonnie), and another part romance. I was tearing through pages waiting to see what happened next. Genuinely such a fun and amazing book with a lot to say about class and money who truly benefits in society. Lost maybe a quarter to a half star for the end being a little too neatly wrapped up for the protagonist but I think she still showed the effect the events of the book continued to have on her. Can’t wait to see what Deitch writes next!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
I absolutely loved this book. It had several unexpected twists and turns which I thoroughly enjoyed...and didn't expect either! The protagonist is likeable even tho a little naive and too trusting.
While the story line is interesting, it's not totally unique. It felt a little like Thelma and Louise vibes. I did enjoy reading this book and highly recommend it! I could have done without the sexual parts and descriptions, not needed in a suspense/mystery book and definitely doesn't do much for the story!